Work Text:
Misumi likes Azuma.
He always gives Misumi head pats, and always smiles at Misumi's triangles, and never gets mad when Misumi doesn't understand. So when Misumi's stomach starts to feel weird, Azuma is the one he turns to.
"Azuma?" Misumi asks during lunch. They have the table to themselves; all the students are at school, and all the adults are at work. Even Izumi had taken her lunch upstairs with her, only waving at them as she passed by. "Can I sleep with you tonight?" Misumi looks down and places his hand on his stomach. "My stomach feels weird and I don't know why."
During the second it takes Azuma to swallow his current bite of food, Misumi wonders if this will be the time Azuma finally loses his patience with him. Misumi is being silly, of course, because Azuma never gets mad at him, but Misumi can't help but worry sometimes. The thought makes his chest ache, in a way Azuma had once helped him identify as guilt, and Misumi doesn't like it at all.
"Of course, Misumi," Azuma says, a second later.
Misumi beams. "Thanks, Azuma!" Azuma chuckles, then reaches out his free hand to ruffle Misumi's hair. Misumi suddenly remembers Kazu doing to the same – Kazu's playful ruffle had made Misumi's hair stick out in every direction as Kazu's laughter filled his ears – and his stomach starts feeling weird again.
Misumi slumps onto the table. "I'm not hungry anymore," he says. Azuma gives him another pat on the head, but doesn't comment. Azuma is nice like that.
Later that day, when Misumi returns from another triangle hunt, he hears Kazu's voice among the cacophony of just-returned high school kids, bright and noticeable even in the chaos. His stomach feels strange, again, but Misumi ignores it so he can give Kazu his usual greeting.
"I'm back, Kazu!" Misumi shouts, jumping over the couch to meet him.
Kazu's eyes crinkle. "Shouldn't I be telling you that?" Kazu points out, but holds up his hands anyway. "Welcome back, Sumi!"
"Yay!" Misumi replies, lightly hitting his hands against Kazu's.
"Yay!" Kazu echoes. "Say, Sumi, do you want to sleep in my room tonight? Mukkun went home for the weekend."
Misumi frowns. "I would love to, but…" Misumi smiles a little, positive that Azuma can make his stomach stop doing all the strange things it's been doing lately. "I'm sleeping with Azuma tonight!"
Kazu's eyes lose their crinkle before he closes them with a forceful grin. Misumi's stomach twists. "That's fine, Sumi! We can hang out another time."
Misumi blinks, wondering what exactly he missed. "Okay!" Misumi eventually agrees. "I love hanging out with Kazu."
Kazu's face is still stiff, and Misumi still feels lost, but Kazu smiles through it, and Misumi can't do anything but trust him. Besides, his stomach still hurts, and he wants to be able to give Kazu his all. Kazu deserves nothing less.
This is what Misumi thinks about when he enters Azuma's room that night, the air as serene as it always is. Azuma is sitting up in bed while leaning against the wall. He pats the space next to him after Misumi walks in, and Misumi immediately bounces to it, settling criss-cross on the bed.
"So, Misumi," Azuma says, "was there something you wanted to talk about?"
Misumi pouts. "My stomach has been feeling weird."
Azuma hums in response. "How so?"
Misumi scrunches his eyebrows. "It aches," he answers. "And sometimes it whooshes, and I don't know what to do."
Azuma hums again. "Are there any particular situations that make your stomach feel strange?"
Misumi tilts his head in thought. Not that Azuma has him thinking about it, the stomach-achy feeling only happens when Kazu is around. Maybe something Kazu has is causing it? But that doesn't make sense, because his stomach does weird things when he just thinks about Kazu, too. "Am I allergic to Kazu?" Misumi wonders, tilting his head further.
Azuma laughs lightly. "Do you think Kazunari is causing your stomach pains?"
Misumi nods. "Mm, maybe."
"Perhaps, then," Azuma suggests, "you may just have a crush."
"A crush?" Misumi parrots, feeling confused.
"Love," Azuma elaborates. "Perhaps you just really love him."
"Of course I love Kazu," Misumi says, his voice a bit too loud. "He's my most precious friend." Misumi feels the need to elaborate, so he does: "If there were something more precious than that, then that's what Kazu would be to me."
Azuma places a hand on his shoulder. "Then maybe you should tell him that, Misumi. Who knows, it might make the stomach pains go away."
"Really?" Misumi exclaims. "Then I should tell him right now!"
Misumi leaps off the bed and races toward the door. Azuma starts saying something behind him, but Misumi is too focused on his goal to listen, and runs down the halls to Kazu's room. Once he reaches Kazu's door, he knocks a few times before entering. Kazu has earbuds in while he sketches, but Misumi must open the door too loudly, because Kazu startles and turns toward the door, one earbud dangling on his finger. "Sumi?" he says, pulling out the other earbud. "I thought you were sleeping with Azu."
"He told me to tell you this!" Misumi declares, moving until he's face-to-face with Kazu. "Kazu's my most precious friend," he repeats. "But if there were something more precious than that, then that's what Kazu would be to me!"
Misumi smiles at him, not sure what he's supposed to expect. Kazu's face starts to glow red. "Are you okay, Kazu?" Misumi asks, moving closer. "Your face is red."
"Don't point it out!" Kazu squeaks, then quickly covers his mouth with his hands.
"Kazu…?"
"I'm fine," Kazu says between his fingers.
Misumi moves even closer. "Are you sure?"
Kazu nods quickly, then removes his hands from his mouth. His face is still red. "You're precious to me too, Sumi." He takes a deep breath. "You're even more precious than a friend."
"Like a crush?" Misumi asks on a whim.
Kazu giggles, bringing his hand to Misumi's cheek. "Yeah, like a crush, Sumi."
Misumi closes his eyes and leans into Kazu's touch. "What's a crush?"
Kazu giggles again, and starts stroking his thumb over Misumi's cheekbone. "It's what I'm feeling right now, and what you are to me."
Misumi opens his eyes. "You're my crush, Kazu."
Kazu smiles at him, delighted and oh-so bright, and Misumi thinks he can get used to the way his stomach flips up into his throat, if it means seeing Kazu, just like this.
Then Misumi's stomach growls, signaling a feeling Misumi has long known how to identify.
"I'm hungry, Kazu," he whines. "I want to eat onigiri with my crush."
Kazu's smile widens, and the hand on his cheek drops down to grab his hand. "Then let's go, Sumi. I think there are some leftover onigiri in the fridge."
Misumi adjusts his grip on Kazu's hand. "Okay," he chimes, pulling Kazu toward the kitchen. "Let's go."